Quick Take:
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is out with new recommendations to help consumers choose seafood sustainably, and giant tiger prawns farmed in Vietnam are now among the items considered a “Good Alternative.”
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On Monday, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch released new and updated recommendations for five marine species, including giant tiger prawns farmed in Vietnam. The Seafood Watch aims to help consumers make informed decisions about which seafoods to purchase based on rigorous standards of sustainability. Species are noted in green, yellow and red as being Best Choices, Good Alternatives or a species to avoid.
Now, giant tiger prawns farmed in rice-shrimp, shrimp-mangrove or extensive ponds in Vietnam have graduated to a yellow “Good Alternative” rating from a red “Avoid” rating. The new assessment was achieved by breaking down data from different types of ponds where shrimp are farmed in Vietnam.
New ratings for four other species, including whiteleg shrimp and Caribbean spiny lobster, were also released based on the species’ location and the method with which it is fished. No new updates were issued for any species on the California coast. Visit seafoodwatch.org to view the updates.